National Sleep Foundation - Sleep Problems & Disorders - Insomniahttps://sleepfoundation.org/taxonomy/term/89
enOrexins Drug May Offer New Approach to Treating Insomniahttps://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/orexins-drug-may-offer-new-approach-treating-insomnia
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p style="text-align: justify;">A new drug may bring help for people with insomnia, according to a study published in the November 28, 2012, online issue of <em>Neurology</em>®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The drug, suvorexant, blocks the chemical messengers in the brain called orexins, which regulate wakefulness. This is an investigational drug that is under review by the FDA. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Taking the drug suvorexant increased the amount of time people spent asleep during the night, according to the study. The study involved 254 people ages 18 to 64 who were in good physical and mental health but had insomnia that was not due to another medical condition. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The participants took either the drug or a placebo for four weeks, then switched to the other treatment for another four weeks. The participants spent the night in a sleep laboratory with their sleep monitored on the first night with each treatment and then again in the fourth week of each treatment. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">While taking the drug, participants' "sleep efficiency," which reflects the total amount of time they slept during a fixed, eight hour time in bed, improved by 5 to 13 percent compared to those taking the placebo. They also experienced 21 to 37 fewer minutes awake during the night after they had fallen asleep than those who took the placebo. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">"This study provides evidence that suvorexant may offer a successful alternative strategy for treating insomnia," said study author W. Joseph Herring, MD, PhD, of North Wales, Penn., Executive Director of Clinical Research with Merck, the maker of suvorexant, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Suvorexant was generally well-tolerated, and there were no serious side effects."</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Herring said larger, longer studies have recently been conducted on suvorexant, along with studies to determine whether the drug could be safe and effective for elderly people, who make up a large percentage of those suffering from insomnia. </p>
</div></div></div>Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:09:15 +0000sleepfoundation3246 at https://sleepfoundation.orgInternet Could Help Battle Insomniahttps://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/internet-could-help-battle-insomnia
<div class="field field-name-field-image-cache field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="https://sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/2009_7_7computer.jpg" width="105" height="111" alt="Computer" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>If you spend as much time on your computer as we do, you know that the Internet can often be a cause of insomnia, not a cure. However, a recent study in the <em>Archives of General Psychiatry</em> found that people who participated in an online program to treat insomnia actually improved their sleep. Researchers from the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville and the Université Laval in Quebec, Canada, followed 44 individuals with a history of difficulty sleeping. Half of the group participated in an online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy program, while the other half was told they were being placed on a waiting list. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, often called CBT-I, is an approved method for treating insomnia without the use of sleeping pills. CBT-I is aimed at changing sleep habits and scheduling factors, as well as misconceptions about sleep and insomnia, that perpetuate sleep difficulties. According to the study, participants who took part in the program experienced a decrease in the severity of their insomnia and were less likely to wake up in the middle of the night. The group that did not take part in the program did not experience any significant changes. Researchers concluded that Internet intervention programs could be effective in treating insomnia, but a larger study with more diverse participants would be necessary to draw wider conclusions.</p>
<ul>
<li>Read the <a href="http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/66/7/692?maxtoshow=&amp;HITS=10&amp;hits=10&amp;RESULTFORMAT=&amp;fulltext=insomnia&amp;searchid=1&amp;FIRSTINDEX=0&amp;sortspec=date&amp;resourcetype=HWCIT">abstract</a>.</li>
<li>Learn more about <a href="/article/hot-topics/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-insomnia">Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia</a>.</li>
</ul>
</div></div></div>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:14:35 +0000Matthew1845 at https://sleepfoundation.org